In the age of the glowing screen, much of the information we all possess has come from our time spent watching television. TV shows educate us, challenge us, and expose us to new ideas and philosophies. They help form who we are, and mold our dreams and goals.

You want to travel? Maybe that's because of the documentaries you've watched on the History Channel, or all those episodes of "Survivor" you and your siblings loved as kids. During the most formative years of your life, you were bombarded with intense depictions of life in the wild, the realities of other cultures, and edge-of-your-seat moments with Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter."

Maybe you're planning on going to med school? Chances are, that dream has something to do with "Grey's Anatomy.' I've heard countless friends tell me that this show is the reason they want to be a doctor, or a nurse, or an anesthesiologist. Many of those same friends have told me that they emerge from a 12-episode Netflix binge feeling like they could walk straight into the operating room, ready to start saving lives.

Were you a Disney kid? For the generation that grew up on "Beauty and the Beast," "High School Musical," and "Camp Rock," the dream of falling in love while performing live for the entire community was always a fallback option if the traditional way of meeting "your person" didn't work out. These shows are some of our most relevant memories, and the expectations we have -- in every aspect of our life -- have been thoroughly influenced by the characters we've been exposed to. This can be both good and bad.

One could argue that they are more well-rounded because of everything their favorite show has taught them. As much as I learned in history and geography classes, the reality is that the first time I remember hearing about the Golden Gate Bridge was in "Full House.' Raven, Eddie, and Chelsea's rendition of "On Top of Old Oaky" was the first time I remember being exposed to any sort of environmental social justice. The only reason I know what the word "heinous" means is because I've watched one too many episodes of "Law and Order: SVU," and part of the temptation of the YOLO mindset is the evidence that crazy antics will get a laugh if you make it on "America's Funniest Home Videos." I want to visit the Trevi Fountain because Lizzie McGuire did, and my idea of life in the 60s and 70s comes from all the hours spent watching "The Wonder Years" with my parents. Cory Matthews taught me "life's tough" so I should just "get a helmet," Ellen DeGeneres made me believe that generosity can change the world, and Squidward is the primary reason I've never had a desire to play the clarinet.

I want what I want and I am who I am because I've watched TV.

But what is the nature of this education we've received? I've acquired information, yes; I've learned from various character's mistakes and been given the inspiration to dream new dreams -- but I think there's one very, very important piece of reality that needs to be pointed out in the midst of all this goodness, and that isthe simplefact that TV is not real.

I know we're all aware of this already, but sometimes we just need a simple reminder: the Tanner family does not really live in San Fransisco -- in fact, there are a lot of families -- even more interesting, and more worth getting to know, than the Tanner family. Every time I spend an evening watching Detectives Benson and Stabler, there are real crimes happening a few miles away, and real heroes risking their lives to make sure justice prevails in my community. While 10-year-old me watched Lizzie making wishes in Rome, there were real people, actually taking that trip, and the doctors and nurses saving lives in the hospital down the street are doing it a lot differently than McDreamy does (or did -- oops) on ABC every week.

While I escape from the real world to watch my favorite show, the rest of the world misses out on the enjoyment and information I receive from that show -- but I also miss out on what the rest of the world is doing. Those hours in front of the screen are spent learning, and thinking, and growing, but they are also spent trying to escape the same reality that every TV show is trying to recreate.

We're all trying to be like the individuals we see on TV, but those characters are actually just trying to be like us -- that's the point of acting; to make a scene or a show as realistic as possible. But true reality will always have one primary advantage, and that is the advantage of simply being real. Even when the situation isn't accompanied by a dramatic score of music, emotions are better when you feel them. Even if your fairytale moments aren't exactly like television told you they would be, love is better when you're the one falling in it. And even if the toughest times of your life aren't turned around by a montage of action, and teamwork, and laughter, the way it often is on TV -- life is still better when it's lived from your point of view. A lot of shows can get pretty close to hitting the nail right on the head when it comes to relating to the way you feel -- but you're the only one who can completely feel a certain way at a certain time, and nothing on TV will ever be able to take the place of that.

At the end of the day, I'm thankful for "Dragon Tales." I really don't care if you continue to watch "Orange is the New Black" or still haven't gotten over your obsession with "One Tree Hill." I don't think JoJo Fletcher from "The Bachelorette" should be your role model when it comes to pursuing a serious relationship, but I'll be the first to say I'd love to have her hair or travel to the places she's traveled on the show so far. Bill Nye and Ms. Frizzle will always be my friends, Mr. Rogers will always be my neighbor, and I will always dream of impressing Simon Cowell one day. Because the fact of the matter is that these shows are just combinations of ideals and opinions -- and I am the one who gets to decide how I'm going to react to them, and how I am going to allow them to influence my beliefs and my lifestyle.

So keep watching TV. Keep learning from documentaries, keep laughing at home videos, and keep learning life lessons from the characters you love most -- but always remember that the life you are living right now, at this very moment, has so much more value.